


not quite immortal (but she pretends to be)

by cat_whiskers



Series: XBC Femslash Week 2021 [3]
Category: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Brighid is Mòrag's long-suffering gf and is like christ Mòrag you're not actually immortal, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Mòrag is a silly billy and Brighid is fed up of her antics, Whump, but Mòrag goes on like that anyway lmao, but it's actually just brighid getting VERY stressed lmao, ether infection, its ur gf's fault, prompt was stress relief, sorry brighid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:13:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29339592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cat_whiskers/pseuds/cat_whiskers
Summary: Brighid doesn't understand how Mòrag came out of Morytha totally unhurt - she is only human, after all. Turns out, Mòrag is concealing more than she should - and it comes back to haunt her later.
Relationships: Kagutsuchi | Brighid/Meleph | Mòrag Ladair
Series: XBC Femslash Week 2021 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2149290
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20
Collections: Xenoblade Femslash Week 2021





	not quite immortal (but she pretends to be)

**Author's Note:**

> the prompt was stress relief, but really, it's more just me making brighid extra stressed. sorry brighid. blame ur gf for being boneheaded when it comes to her self-preservation. maybe there's two shellheads in the party lmao
> 
> pls leave kudos and comments if u enjoyed!
> 
> (yes once again, written in one take bc I am lazy and tired from uni lol)

Ever since Brighid had regained consciousness in the hellish land under the Cloud Sea, she had been deeply concerned for her Driver. Sure, Mòrag was strong, but she was also unfortunately very mortal, much as she liked to pretend otherwise. The fact that Brighid was even still here meant she was alive… but still, she wouldn’t rest until she was reunited with her lady.

Discovering Poppi, and then Azurda, had been of some comfort, knowing that others of their party had landed near to her. If they were here, then surely Mòrag couldn’t be far? Yet normally, Brighid could trace Mòrag’s ether signature with ease. The fact it was faint, that it didn’t seem to be moving or transmitting emotions – she could only deduce that Mòrag must still be unconscious. Brighid wasn’t surprised – of their group, Mòrag was the only ‘normal’ human. Nopon were virtually indestructible, as Tora had proven time and time again as monsters would beat upon him – their method of tanking was to outrun the hits, but when hits needed to be taken, Tora was their best bet. Nia was a flesh-eater, Zeke a blade-eater – the core crystals would provide them protection. Rex was a blade-eater too, she supposed – and somehow, she doubted a fall like that would do much to the driver of the master blade.

What incredible power Pyra and Mythra had gained. All sorts of secrets were coming out now – Nia’s true form, Zeke’s blade abilities, it made her and Mòrag appear rather simple in comparison, but perhaps there was a power in that too.

She could only be glad that their group’s newfound abilities should help her lady, if that was needed. If she was injured, hurt, or worse…

Perhaps naively, she hoped that wasn’t the case.

* * *

Upon reuniting with Mòrag and the rest of the team, Brighid had been overwhelmed with joy to see them all alive and well. However, as she watched her lady continue their trek towards the World Tree, the ball of concern in her chest returned and grew. Mòrag was… too okay? A fall like that should have hurt, surely? Something wasn’t right, and Brighid couldn’t put her finger on it. Architect, it was exhausting following someone like Mòrag sometimes – much as Brighid loved her, she was also well-aware that she would refuse to admit anything was wrong until she absolutely had to.

She fell back to Nia and Dromarch whilst Mòrag was distracted talking to Zeke and Rex. The healers weren’t her natural conversation partners, perhaps, but the bonding experience of nearly-falling-to-your-death had been a surprisingly effective team-building exercise. Who knew.

“Nia, Dromarch… I know this may sound peculiar, but could you tell me about the condition Lady Mòrag was in when you found her, down in Morytha?” The pair looked at Brighid with a slightly perplexed expression, before Dromarch responded.

“She had obtained some minor injuries, significant bruising, some broken ribs and a fairly deep cut on her stomach, but we healed all of that as soon as we found her so it should no longer be an issue. May I ask why you wish to know?” Mòrag hadn’t mentioned that to Brighid. Of course she hadn’t, the stubborn woman was well-known for pretending everything was fine when everything quite clearly was not. Were she a mortal woman, Mòrag would quite likely be the death of her due to the stress she unintentionally put her through.

“Oh, it was just something didn’t seem quite right in our ether connection, and you know how touchy she gets when something goes wrong, she wouldn’t have told me herself. Thank you.” More puzzled looks from Nia and Dromarch, but Brighid caught up to Mòrag. Mòrag, who seemed totally unbothered by Brighid leaving her side to speak to the healers, whereas the normal Mòrag most certainly would have realised Brighid was concerned and trying to find something out, and would have told her, “Do not worry yourself, Brighid, I am fine.”

This Mòrag seemed deeply focused on pretending to be absolutely fine. So focused, in fact, that it seemed if she took even a moment’s break from doing so, it would become blatantly apparent that she was not fine, that something was wrong.

Brighid was deeply concerned.

* * *

Of course, as these things have a tendency to do, it all came to a head just as they were entering the World Tree. One second, Mòrag was striding along at her side. The next, she heard a thump by her side.

Mòrag, collapsed on the floor, eyes closed.

“Shit shit shit.” Nia hissed, as she seamlessly morphed into her blade-eater form, whilst Brighid immediately dropped down beside her Driver. Touching her head, she immediately felt the heat – she had a fever. Not good.

“Lady Mòrag? Lady Morag!” Shifting Mòrag so she was on her back, head resting on Brighid’s knees, she desperately looked up at Nia, who looked equally perplexed. “Nia, what’s wrong?”

“We healed her before? I don’t understand!” The fever clearly showed there was more to the issue than first imagined. As Nia pulled back Mòrag’s coat, it revealed the deep gash she had mentioned healing earlier. Sure, the skin was healed over, but it was horribly swollen, oozing with this unusual blue liquid. “Crap, it’s got infected.”

Deeply concerned, Brighid ran her hands over Mòrag’s face. There was no way, no way in hell, her beloved was going out like this. No, the Special Inquisitor of Mor Ardain would not die here today. “Can you heal her?”

“I-I think so, I need to draw the ether out, but-“ Nia paused, but Mòrag didn’t have time for Nia to pause.

Brighid pushed, “But what?”

“It could put immense strain on you, and I can’t guarantee that won’t be painful. The excess ether will need to be transferred through your ether link – that’s why it wasn’t feeling right earlier, the imbalance was incorrect – to you, and then you can emit it to the atmosphere. It might hurt.” Nia bit her lip as she spoke, well-aware that Brighid would not see it as an obstacle at all, and simultaneously conscious that loud noises could attract more of the Morytha monsters, and that was the last thing they needed.

“Do it.” There wasn’t time for hesitation, and Nia hesitated no longer, pushing the ether from Mòrag into Brighid for her to emit back into the atmosphere.

Around them, the team stood fairly helplessly whilst this all went on, deeply concerned for their teammate.

Mòrag’s skin was pallid and sweaty – Architect, had she been that pale the whole time and hiding it from everyone? She was burning hot, yet shivers ran through her body. Not for the first time, Brighid silently cursed Mòrag – there wouldn’t be a stress-free moment when she was following her fool of a lady, and it certainly wasn’t helped by her devil-may-care attitude to her own health when a greater cause was at stake.

Ether was meant to run from blade to driver. It was possible to interrupt said flow – as shown by Obrona. It was also possible to reverse it, in cases such as these. But ether was not meant to run from driver to blade for a good reason, and Brighid knew that.

As the jewel of fire, she was accustomed to fire, to burning brightly, but this was something else. At first, it hurt at her core crystal, then spread throughout her being. Suddenly, it was like the ether in her body was rejecting itself, burning its way out of her body.

She screamed.

* * *

When Mòrag regained consciousness, she was lying on Brighid’s lap. Her blade looked tired, but at the sight of Mòrag reawakening her eyes lit up.

“Thank the _Architect_ you’re alright.” Suddenly, Mòrag was pulled up and hugged from behind by Brighid. Initially surprised at the show of intimacy in this… unusual place, she relaxed into her warm grip and closed her eyes once more. When she opened again, she realised the whole Aegis team were also there, minding their own business but clearly glad she had awoken.

“Brighid… what happened?” The last thing she remembered clearly was falling from the cliff. After that, there were flashes, but it was a murky haze.

“What do you remember?” As Mòrag recalled, Brighid sucked in a breath as she realised Mòrag had no memory of the last few hours. Perhaps that was why she said nothing, and yet…

As she told Mòrag of her ether infection, of her collapse, and the efforts taken to save her, Mòrag’s cheeks slowly grew more red. Thankfully, only Brighid noticed – the others were occupied with their own tasks, giving them some privacy. Nia was napping against Dromarch, having returned to her driver form – the ether extraction had taken it out of her too. Then, without warning, Brighid pinched Mòrag’s cheek. She yelped.

“And that is what happens when you keep serious injuries to yourself, Lady Mòrag!” She wasn’t _really_ mad, but she hoped Mòrag would learn from the incident. Thankfully, she seemed better now, if a bit tired. That was to be expected, though. “By Architect, I’m never free of stress around you!”

Earnestly, Morag said, “I am deeply sorry Brighid. I promise not to act like that in future.”

“Well, I know that’s a lie. Still, I guess it is a blessing that I love you.” Mòrag had a small grin at the statement. They were all good. Brighid wrapped her arms tighter around her beloved.

“And I, you.” Mòrag sank further back. She may be a constant stress to her long-suffering blade, but they enjoyed this brief moment of stress-relief, before they had to resume the climb.

**Author's Note:**

> pls leave kudos and comments if u enjoyed!
> 
> (also if ur a lora/haze fan pls read the pic I posted yesterday lol they're underrated and need more love!)


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